Program Founder, Director, and Instructor: Patience Cady-Groomes
Developing Reins of Rhythm as an outreach program had been a dream for Patience ever since her late teens. She began riding at age four, and from then on her passion for horses grew. She learned to groom, ride, train horses, and found odd jobs to support her passion. As a shy, quiet youngster who struggled with school, strangers, and anything out of the ordinary, Patience found that spending time with her horses and fellow horse lovers gave her a chance to build friendships and confidence, that ultimately led to the development of her dream. Over the years Patience has honed her horsemanship skills through teaching riding camps, guiding trail rides, managing boarding facilities, and obtaining Bacherlor’s degrees from Wilson College in Equine Management, Equestrian Management, and Equine Facilitated Therapeutics. She also holds her certification as a Pennsylvania Qualified Instructor through the Council for Education and Certification in Therapeutic Horsemanship, and is also an EAGALA Certified Equine Specialist.
Community Outreach Coordinator and Horse Powered Reading (R) Facilitator: Ruth Gunnett
Program Board President and Instructor: Leah Good
Leah is currently taking a break from teaching at Reins of Rhythm, though she remains active as the Board President, website manager, and email contact monitor. You may see her fill in from time to time as a substitute instructor.
Leah started her horse career at an early age. She received her first horse, Snowy, as a present for her 10th birthday, not realizing at the time how many people the two of them would reach through Reins of Rhythm later in their lives. Snowy has since passed on, but her legacy remains in the memories of the riders who enjoyed learning from her. Leah is a Wilson College graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Equine Facilitated Therapeutics with a minor in Psychology. She is also a graduate from Shippensburg University with a Master’s degree in Special Education. She holds certification as a Pennsylvania Qualified Instructor through the Council for Education and Certification in Therapeutic Horsemanship, and is also a certified special education teacher through the state of Pennsylvania and teaches middle school autism support for the Chambersburg Area School District. Leah is currently working through a new challenge of ownership of an OTTB, Celine (JC: The Giant’s Vow).